


Fall of Kalos

by sugarblossom



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Papa Kukui
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:33:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24031342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarblossom/pseuds/sugarblossom
Summary: After a visit to Kanto, the Alola class was bound to visit Kalos as well!
Relationships: Kukui-hakase | Professor Kukui & Platane-hakase | Professor Augustine Sycamore, Kukui-hakase | Professor Kukui & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Platane-hakase | Professor Augustine Sycamore & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum
Comments: 34
Kudos: 554
Collections: Ash Ketchem Best Works, Purrsonal Picks





	Fall of Kalos

A cool breeze danced by, red and orange leaves swirling through the air. Trees were clinging to their last green leaves, their leaves colliding with the sky like a rainbow.

“Have fun, you all!” Ash exclaimed, him and Pikachu waving their friends goodbye. His classmates all waved back.

Clemont gave Ash an awkward thumbs up as Bonnie yelled back, “We will!” 

They watched the group leave, with Clemont leading the tour and Bonnie bouncing from student to student in excitement.

Kukui placed a hand on Ash’s shoulder. “Are you sure you’d rather accompany me than your friends?” Pikachu, from Ash’s other shoulder, chirped in excitement. 

Ash nodded. “Yeah, we’ve already traveled through Lumiose City, so the tour will simply be boring!”

Chuckling, Kukui scanned the streets. “I don’t know how much more interesting this would be, so I guess we’ll find out.” Ash raced forward, stopped when Kukui grabbed his arm with a roll of his eyes. “Do you even know where we’re going?” Pikachu rolled his eyes as well.

“You said you were gonna…” Ash rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh, it had been a while.” He exchanged a glance with Pikachu before squinting. “Where...?” Kukui rolled his eyes, leading Ash down in the opposite direction. 

“Don’t worry, I promise it won’t be a long meeting.”

Ash only shrugged.

By the time they walked into the lab, Ash and Pikachu were practically bouncing with excitement. 

“Augustine, I’ve got some data for you!” Kukui called out. “And someone for you to meet-”

Pikachu hopped onto Ash’s head. “Professor Sycamore!” Ash exclaimed, grinning and waving as Augustine stepped out to greet them. 

Both professors froze.

“ _ Ash _ ?”

“ _ When _ did you meet Augustine?”

Ash sweatdropped. Pikachu’s ears perked up. “When I came here with-” There was a croak. Ash gasped, “Greninja!” 

Kukui blinked when Ash raced forward, tackling the strange Greninja in a hug. “What’s going on?” Pikachu bumped fists with Greninja, and they grinned at each other.

Like on cue, Augustine ranted, “That Greninja is experiencing bond phenomenon, and he’s the only pokemon that the world knows of that has this ability.” Kukui wildly gestured towards Ash, currently praising Greninja and eagerly circling him. “And yes, his partner is Ash.” Pikachu glanced back at them before chirping in agreement with Ash.

“...Something tells me this is gonna be a lot longer than I intended,” Kukui murmured, turning to Augustine. “I got the mega evolution data from our trip to Kanto-”

“Professor Sycamore, can I go visit Garchomp?” Ash yelled. Pikachu rolled his eyes, leaning against Ash’s cap while Greninja crossed his arms.

“You know the answer to that!” Augustine yelled back. The two professors watched Ash and Greninja take off running.

“Wait, Ash-” Kukui cut himself off with an exasperated sigh. 

Augustine chuckled. “Ash is an… interesting kid, to say the least.”

“Tell me about it.” Sighing fondly, Kukui said, “His pokemon too. I’ve never seen a Greninja like that before!” Augustine walked down the hall, Kukui following him.

“Bond phenomenon, a temporary transformation in which the trust between a trainer and their pokemon reaches the maximum. During this state, trainers and pokemon share pain and according to Ash, perspectives,” Augustine explained. 

Kukui raised an eyebrow. “Why Ash? Why these two and not…”

“We don’t know. But it’s an interesting question! The excitement never ends with Ash, does it?”

Kukui chuckled, watching the pokemon run past them. “And you still haven’t found out?” he teased.

Augustine shrugged. “Greninja only came here a few minutes ago. It was as if he sensed Ash was coming!”

“Wait, he was just out in the wild before that? Why-”

Ash’s cheers cut him off. He was surrounded by small pokemon like Caterpie and Weedle, petting Garchomp’s head while baby talking. Pikachu and Greninja were next to him, the former chatting with the Combees and the latter staying silent. Gesturing to Psyduck, Pikachu chirped to Ash. Ash nodded, grinning at Helioptile.

“This takes me back,” Augustine said. Kukui watched Ash scoop up some Azurills and Marills, nodding. “Granted, pokemon didn’t like me as easily as Ash, but Professor Rowan really instilled that sense of wonder and curiosity about pokemon evolution in me.” Garchomp softly roared, nudging Ash’s side.

While the pokemon played with each other, Ash perked up, edging closer to the two professors. “Did you say Professor Rowan?” While Zigzagoon and Linoone chatted with Pikachu, Greninja peeked over at them.

Kukui threw his hands up in exasperation. “Why, do you know all the professors?”

Ash grinned. “Not  _ all _ of them. Just, most of them. Besides, I participated in the pokemon summer academy!” Pikachu perked up, scampering over and climbing onto Ash’s shoulder with a soft chirp. Greninja stayed put, tilting his head at Garchomp. “Oh, that’s right, we also saw him after encountering Gary and Shieldon!”

Augustine grinned, leaning back against the wall when Kukui stared at Ash. “Wait, Gary as in Gary Oak?”

“Yeah, my first friend and rival!” Ash grinned. “I’m proud of him, he’s done a lot! Did you know he helped revive an Aerodactyl?” he asked, stars in his eyes. Pikachu flatly chirped, and Ash chuckled, shrugging. “Possibly?” Pikachu facepalmed. “Hey, you know Charizard saved me that time still.”

“Have you been contacting Gary?” Augustine asked, grinning when Garchomp playfully growled at Greninja in the distance.

“Yeah, now that I’m not on the road anymore, I try my best to contact all of my friends! I really enjoy catching up with them!” Pikachu side-eyed Ash with a grin.

Kukui narrowed his eyes when Augustine tilted his head, murmuring, “Is that why you’re so different?” Cooing, Garchomp tilted her head, shuffling closer to them.

If Ash and Pikachu heard it, they didn’t comment on it. “And for once, Gary’s checking out a region because of  _ me _ !” He tickled Pikachu’s cheek with a laugh. “I know Mega Blastoise is a thing, but I get the feeling he’s got more pokemon capable of mega evolution.” Pikachu’s eyes twinkled, cooing. “Yeah, like if there’s a mega fossil pokemon!” Ash yelled with a grin, casually spinning around.

Both professors watched Ash laugh and run back to Garchomp and Greninja, Pikachu bobbing up and down on his shoulder.

“Well, it’s nice to see him loosening up,” Augustine noted.

Kukui stiffened. “What do you mean?”

“I met Ash very early in his Kalos journey.” Kukui furrowed his eyebrows as Augustine stood up straight. “Between Ash and his other Kalos friends, you can tell Ash was… the leader? The hero?” Augustine rubbed the back of his neck. “He was always so serious. So on edge.” Kukui raised an eyebrow when Augustine met his eyes. “He was the one who saved my Garchomp when she went on a rampage.” Greninja glanced over at them with a curious croak. Pikachu, from on top of Garchomp, tilted his head.

Kukui’s blood went cold. “That was Ash on the news,” he whispered, eyes blank. Greninja exchanged a glance with Pikachu. “I- Why didn’t I realize?” He watched Ash make funny faces at the pokemon, causing them to laugh. “Oh. He wasn’t like this in Kalos?”

Nodding, Augustine whispered, “He fell- well, more like he leaped from Prism Tower. After Pikachu.” Pikachu narrowed his eyes, hopping down onto Ash’s shoulder once more. Ash chuckled when Garchomp softly gnawed on his head like his Gible does.

“He did it before…”

Augustine blinked. “What do you mean?” he worriedly asked.

Kukui bit his lower lip, wringing his hands. “He did the same in Alola when Pikachu fell off a cliff.”

The two professors fell silent.

The sound of Ash laughing and chasing after Garchomp echoed through the room. Greninja and Pikachu were chatting, a swarm of pokemon around them listening.

“Does this mean he’s encountered…” Augustine trailed off, eyes pooling with worry. “He’s used to it?”

“What?” Kukui glanced between Ash and Augustine. “And I’ve almost never seen you like this before.” Was that a bitter undertone? “Look, you already have Alain-”

Ash stiffened. Pikachu and Greninja both glared back at them before running toward Ash. Ash smiled, accepting their hugs. Even Garchomp growled, huddling closer to Ash.

Kukui furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

“You’re right.” Augustine peeked over at Kukui. “You’re precisely right. Ash has definitely helped him a lot.” Kukui flushed in embarrassment. “But ever since he saved Garchomp, I can’t help but be worried, you know?”

Kukui watched Ash chatting with Greninja while running a hand through Pikachu’s fur. Garchomp was staring between him and Augustine, eyes conflicted. “Wait, he was the Kalos League runner up, right?” Kukui whispered.

“Mhm. I wonder how it feels, inspiring your friend to compete and losing to them in the end?”

“But… the Crisis? Ash was there, right? What happened?!” Ash stared over at them, blinking when Garchomp stepped in front of him, tilting her head.

Augustine’s eyes softened. “Talk to him, Kukui. Experiencing the Crisis is scary enough, and even if Ash seems unaffected, he’s certainly more impacted than anyone else.” Kukui squinted, catching Ash’s smile wavering, and nodded with determination.

“Wait… Is this also why Ash left his Greninja?”

Augustine only turned to leave. 

Ash cheered when riding Garchomp, Pikachu on her head. Greninja rolled his eyes from beside Garchomp, sitting next to the other pokemon. 

Kukui subconsciously reached out towards Ash with wide eyes.

Just before Augustine exited through the door, he nodded to Kukui. “When he falls, we’re all here to pick him back up. He deserves it.”

**Author's Note:**

> Idea partially from AlolaRizaEevee30 and partially from stephbethallen!  
> Hope everyone's been doing well!


End file.
